Maternity-gown.



.E. MILES.

MATERNITY GOWN. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. so, 1912.

1,067,537, Patented July 15, 1913.

ELIZABETH MILES, EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

MATERNITY-GOWN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15,1913.

Application led August 30, 1912. Serial No. 717,865.

'o u/ whom, 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIZABETH Minus, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the. city of Evanston, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Maternity- Gowns, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in maternity gowns and has for it-s object the production of a gown of this character which will allowiof expansion at the waist-line, bust and abdomen sufficient to meet the physical requirements at all periods Without the length of the garment visibly altering durino development.

A urther object is the production of a gown as mentioned which will be simple and economical in construction, one which will afford great comfort when worn and one which will be of neat and finished appearance.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which,

Figure 1 is a fro-nt view of a gown eml bodying my invention, and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary sections taken on substantially lines -a/z, y-y and .e-.e, respectively, of Fig. 1.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawing comprises a gown consisting of a body 1 in which the waist and skirt portions areformed integral. Said body 1, except at the front, is of ordinary construction, the same being provided with sleeves 2 and with a conventional collar or other suitable trimming 3. The front side of the body 1 is open, the front'edges overlapping as clearly shown in the several views. Provided at said overlapping edges are panels 4t and 5 which extend the entire length of the gown, the same being formed by lines of stitching 6 and 7 respectively, which `pass through the turned-back or folded portions of the garment as clearly sho-wn in the several views. juncture of each of said panels with the body of the garment is an invisible plait 8,

the upper and lower end portions of the.

plaits 8 being tacked by means of stitching plait 8 close Formed at the 6 and 'T which extends therethrough at the I upper and lower end port-ions of the garment, as shown in Fig. 3. The central por tions of said plaits 8, that is the portions thereof bet-Ween points A and B and A and B', are untacked, as clearly shown in Figs.

.2 and 4, so as to permit of circumferential expansion of the gown. at the waistline, bust and abdomen o-f the wearer. Said untacked portions of said plaits are bellied inwardly, that is the width of said plait portions gradually increases toward the centers thereof so that the greatest expansion will be permit-ted at the abdominal or waist portion of the gown.

The waist of the garment is held snugly about the waist of the wearer by means of an adjustable belt 9, one end of which is connected with an eye or loo-p 10 provided -at the outer edge of panel. 5, said belt passing through a slit 11 provided in the adjacent to the stitching G, the same encircling the waist of the garment and having its free end engaged with a toothed loop or fastening buckle 12 provided at the outer edge of the panel 4. A slide buckle 13 is provided in said belt engaging with the first mentioned end thereof which permits of extension orcontraction of the belt as desired. With this arrangement it will be seen that the gown may be drawn snugly around the waist of the wearer irrespective of the size thereof.

The lower end portions of the panels 4 and 5 are held in overlapping relation by means Vof ballsand-socket clasps, the socket portions 14 being provided upon panel L and the ball portions 15 upon panel 5. An additional set of socket portions l1 is provided upon panel 4 in order to permit of ad justment of the relative position of said panels in case of abnormal development in the wearer.

`With a construction as set forth it will be seen that the panels of the garment, irrespective of expansion at the waist-line of the latter, will remain constantly in the same relative position and so that the alteration or expansion ot' the garment at the waist-line, bust or abdomen will not be Without a suspicion of its real merit or purpose so as to enable a Woman to appear at all times without calling attention to her condition, and, after its mission has been fulfilled, the same is still available for general Wear.

1While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification Without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, 'do not Wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as set forth,

but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent is: e

l. A gown of the character described comprising a body consisting of integral Waist and skirt portions, the front of said body being open, the front edges of said body overlapping; panels provided at said edges of said body; and invisible plaits provided at the inner edges of said panels, the central portions of said plaits being untacled to permit of circumferential eXpansion of said body at the central portion thereof, the Width of said untaclred po-rtions of said plaits gradually increasing from the ends thereof toward the center of said por' tions; and a belt for holding said panels in overlapping relation and being secured at its free ends to the outer edges of said panels, substantially as described.

ends secured to the outer edges for holding said panels in overlapping relation.

3. A gown of the character described comprising a body consisting of integral Waist and skirt portions, the front of said body being open, the front edges of said body overlapping; panels provided at said edges of said body; invisible plaits provided at the inner edges of said panels, the central portions of said plaits being untacked to permit of `circumferential expansion of said body at the central portion thereof; and a belt for adjustably holding said panels in overlapping relation, substantially as described and having its free end secured to the outer edges of said panels.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

ELIZABETH MILES.

Witnesses ARTHUR A. OLSON, J osHUA R. H. Porr'rs. 

